Groupe GÉOS simplifies project management, invoicing, and payroll with Zoho Creator

The company

Groupe GÉOS is a Québec-based consulting and engineering firm specializing in environmental, material control, and geotechnical services, helping clients assess sites, analyze field data, and ensure compliance with provincial and federal regulations. Founded in 2018 by a team of seasoned experts, the company has grown into a multi‑office organization with locations in Québec City, Lévis, Drummondville, Saguenay, and Montréal.

The organization supports a wide range of clients, from municipalities and government bodies to private companies, delivering tailored services that combine technical expertise with operational efficiency.

The problem

Before turning to Zoho Creator, GÉOS relied on a disconnected mix of tools and systems, including Excel spreadsheets, and two standalone ERPs to manage daily operations. Each core business function, from time tracking and expense reports to invoicing and payroll, operated in its own silo. These tools had been gradually added over time, but they were never designed to work together.

The result was a complex, inefficient workflow that demanded manual entry and cross-checking between systems. Project managers lacked real-time visibility into costs and resource allocation, while administrative teams were burdened with repetitive, error-prone tasks. These inefficiencies slowed down billing cycles, impacted reporting accuracy, and limited the company’s ability to scale smoothly.

The solution

Working with BSP, a Zoho Premium Partner, the team used Zoho Creator to build a fully integrated project management solution that brings together all core functions, including time tracking, expense management, invoicing, payroll, and project costing, into a single streamlined system. This allowed them to replicate and improve their existing workflows while avoiding the constraints of rigid, off-the-shelf software.

Some of the key modules include:

Project management

This module handles the full lifecycle of a project, starting with quote creation. Once approved, a quote becomes a project with customizable fields for client details, organization, billing language, and contract type.

Employees enter time directly through their Creator accounts, and supervisors must approve entries before they count toward project actuals. Expense data is also synced from Zoho Expense and vendor invoices, enabling precise tracking of realized costs.

Invoicing

Designed to accommodate both flat-rate and expense-controlled contracts, the invoicing module calculates billable amounts automatically from approved time entries and expense data. Project managers can generate invoices that list eligible tasks, display billed vs. remaining amounts, and apply billing rules based on the project’s contract type.

An integrated approval workflow also ensures invoices are reviewed by administrators before being pushed to Zoho Books, while rejected invoices are returned to project managers with notes for correction.

Payroll

Built to streamline compensation, the payroll module uses categorized and approved timesheets to prepare pay runs without manual intervention. The system captures contract type, standard work hours, and role-specific pay rates for each employee, while time entries are tagged with payroll codes for project work, vacation, sick leave, or training.

Once approved, the data is exported in a Nethris-compatible format, ready for upload, with all calculations and categorizations handled automatically.

Benefits and ROI

Since launching their custom Zoho Creator app, Groupe GÉOS has seen a significant improvement in efficiency, transparency, and compliance across its operations.

• One system for all workflows From quotes to payroll, everything is managed in one centralized application.
• Real-time financial insights Managers can track actuals vs. budgets at a task level for full control over project performance.
• Precise invoicingDynamic billing logic ensures each client is invoiced based on their contract type, with fewer errors or delays.
• Streamlined payrollTime entry and payroll prep are fully integrated, reducing administrative work and payroll errors.
• Bilingual and multi-org supportThe app supports both French and English, as well as operations across all four GÉOS divisions.
• Multi-company managementSimplifies the tracking of inter-company revenues and expenses for smoother financial oversight.

Looking forward

With Zoho Creator as its central platform, Groupe GÉOS is ready to keep expanding its capabilities without disrupting daily operations. New modules, automation, and reporting features can be added as needs evolve, keeping the system aligned with both business growth and client expectations.